Hammond Pond -- Chestnut Hill, MA

This is a good beginner area that is 10 minutes from where I work in Boston. It's a good spot to work on getting your finger strength back. It's mostly puddingstone which means the walls are a mix of 2-3 inch pebbles embedded in rock, or the 2-3 inch depressions where the pebbles aren't. Where the pebbles split, you get very positve micro edges. Great for building confidence in your footwork. The narraganset amc teaches their beginner class here.

Directions:

From Providence, take I-95 north to Route-128 North. Continue to Route 9. Take Route 9 East towards Boston. Route 9 is divided so you have to exit to the right as you come up to the mall. You'll go down the ramp taking a right at the bottom. Immediately cross over to make a U-turn and come back up under Route 9. The parking lot and pond will be on your right. Once you enter the parking lot, go left and park between the pond and the road. There's a dirt road into the park the cliffs are straight in on the left

Face: Hammond Pond - Upper Wall

A neglected wall just to the left of the main wall that is set back around 15 ft. You'll need longer slings to top rope it, but the climbs are thinner than the main wall. If you're late you might end up here when the main wall is full.

Sunshine (01), 5.8, Face Climb on the far left,
Height: 20, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Free Ride (02), 5.1, Right sloping crack on far left end of wall,
Height: 20, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Over Reach (03), 5.6, ,
Height: 25, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Turnout (04), 5.7, ,
Height: 25, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Two Trees (05), 5.6, ,
Height: 25, Bolted:N, Type:

Wrap Down (06), 5.6, ,
Height: 25, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Wrap Up, 5.4, ,
Height: 25, Bolted:N, Type:

Face: Hammond Pond - Lower Wall

It's a good spot to work on getting your finger strength back. It's mostly puddingstone which means the walls are a mix of 2-3 inch pebbles embedded in rock, or the 2-3 inch depressions where the pebbles aren't. Where the pebbles split, you get very positve micro edges. Great for building confidence in your footwork. The narraganset amc teaches their beginner class here.

Happy Slabs (01), 5.4, Farthest left end, face climb.,
Height: , Bolted:N, Type: Face

Short Cake (02), 5.8, Face Climb to the left of the first crack,
Height: , Bolted:N, Type: Face

Old Tree (03), 5.2, Too wide to be a called a crack, it's almost a gulley.,
Height: , Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Half and Half (04), 5.4, Take the first real crack on the left and go up, traverse across the horizontal crack a few feet and then follow the crack to the top,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Pudding Face (05), 5.6, First face climb on the left, Crack on each side is off route.,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Milk Run (06), 5.3, 2nd crack from the left,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Pipe Cleaner (07), 5.5, Third Crack from the left,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Free and Easy (08), 5.4, Crack in center of face, ,
Height: 35, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

Flutterby (09), 5.6, Face just to the right of the center crack, stay well left of the bolt in the middle of the face,
Height: 35, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Your Lead (10), 5.7, Face climb in the center of the wall, used to have a hanger 2/3 to the top, now just the bolt remains.,
Height: 35, Bolted:N, Type: Face

Hidden Magic (11), 5.7, Follow the rightward crack/flake. Under cling the over hanging part,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Mixed

Cracker Jack (12), 5.6, Face Climb to narrow crack,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Mixed

Toy Suprise (13), 5.6, Face climb to the left of the last crack on the right,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Face

The Cleft (14), 5.4, LAst crack on the right,
Height: 30, Bolted:N, Type: Crack

No Reverse Traverse (15), 5.7, Follow Horizontal crack across entire face, start either end,
Height: 20, Bolted:N, Type: Mixed

References:

Route names and ratings based in part on Boston Rocks, 1995, Larry LaForge

Back to New England Crags or climbing page